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Housekeeping

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Original poster

what's your kitchen table made of?

30 replies

hatwoman · 10/03/2007 14:14

we're looking to buy a new kitchen table - prefarably oval and preferably able to withstand the usual kitchen/family ill-treatment. the problem with nice wooden ones is I'd do my nut worrying about it. what other alternatives are there? and where?

OP posts:
zippitippitoes · 10/03/2007 14:21

not much help ours is a plank country oak table about 200 years old!

ChocolateTeapot · 10/03/2007 14:24

No help either - mine is a rectangle that will fold in half to make an oval and is oak. I have one of those table protector things over it underneath an oilskin or whatever they are called table cloth, so actually most of the time you can only see the legs anyway.

Original poster
hatwoman · 10/03/2007 14:25

just been looking at old ones. they come pre-bashed!

OP posts:
tortoiseSHELL · 10/03/2007 14:26

ours is pine, and it does seem to withstand most things, but I think an oak one would be better for general things - we usually keep a tablecloth on it.

twinsetandpearls · 10/03/2007 14:27

original 1950 melamine? table with blue conrflowers.I adore it and it is very practical apart from one mark where dd spilt some ribena.

chipkid · 10/03/2007 14:42

have an oak table. When it gets marked just sand it down and oil it and it's perfect again.

Pannacotta · 10/03/2007 16:00

Agree solid wood is best, don't get a veneered or melamine table as they chip which is very unhygienic (sp?). You can sand down solid wood, either pine or oak ok depends on which you prefer and your style of kitchen (and chairs). Might be worth buying vintage/used so you dont worry so much about it getting bashed around

Nbg · 10/03/2007 16:04

We have a solid thick pine round one.
Its had allsorts spilt and drawn on it but dh has sanded it down and re-varnished it and its as good as new.

TSAP and Zippi, your tables sound gorgeous.

BettySpaghetti · 10/03/2007 16:36

Ours is a chunky pine one , farmhouse-style I suppose you'd call it.

It has a few marks, dents and scratches but this just adds to the character (its never been perfect in that its quite uneven, not all edges are straight etc).

I've recently bought an oil cloth tablecloth for it which is on most of the time as DS is now at the table for his meals rather than in the high chair so it avoids stains from tomato based food, curry and so on.

TooTicky · 10/03/2007 16:39

Just think yourself lucky that your kitchen is big enough to take a table

CAM · 10/03/2007 16:40

Oak with matching ladder back chairs with leather seats

ivelostmyboobsboohoo · 10/03/2007 16:55

i have a reclaimed pine one which was stained dark. its been through some tough treatment from kids but when it gets hideously bad that it cant be ignored i shall sand it down and wax it. i think solid wood and pref old so its already 'worn' is the best with kids as marks etc kind of enhance it! i think they are much more practical than say a veneer which just looks dreadful if chipped, scratched.

i worked for 4 years as furniture sales and customer service advisor for a v trendy household store so i've seen it all!!!

themoon66 · 10/03/2007 17:15

This is mine, but I didn't pay that price for it!

Lichfield

Original poster
hatwoman · 10/03/2007 18:14

I really don;t know what to go for - the smart wooden type like themoon66 would render me stroppy and paranoid. The battered old farmhuose type does have its appeal but I think it would look pretty strange in our kitchen - as well as being sqaure/oblong and probably too big. ideally we'd like an oval one. what does anyone think of this ? our kitchen is modren-ish but not uber stylish. limed oak doors, rather garish checked tiles, and brick-ish coloured floor tiles with a nice steel cooker (we didn;t put it in) - it's difficult cos I think it's too modern for an old table but not modern enough for a relly modern one. I quite fancy having a white one as I don;t really like the oak that much

OP posts:
McDreamy · 10/03/2007 18:17

granite can't do anything to it. Got it from John Lewis. One polish and it always looks as good as the day I bought it!

hillary · 10/03/2007 18:19

Oak

Original poster
hatwoman · 10/03/2007 18:22

the thing I don;t get about granite is don;t you develop a pathological fear of lemon juice. which can't be very healthy in a kitchen. (the otherdownside of granite is it would show our awful fake granite formica tops up something rotten)

OP posts:
McDreamy · 10/03/2007 18:25

No not all. It came with a leaflet saying not to leave it wet as it shows up water marks. Has had lemon juice, paint glue, beetroot everything on it and it's still sparkling!

McDreamy · 10/03/2007 18:26

The only thing about granite is I wouldn't have my kitchen made out of it as I would be forever shining it as it does show up all water marks and makes it look dull but for a kitchen table it's fab

themoon66 · 10/03/2007 18:28

I just keep mine covered with some padded heat resistant fabric I bought off a roll in Dunelm. It wipes clean. I throw a posh table cloth on if visitors come round.

Original poster
hatwoman · 10/03/2007 18:28

it does sound good - btw if you have water marls you need E-cloths. they are brilliant

OP posts:
ivelostmyboobsboohoo · 11/03/2007 06:21

hatwoman- i quite like the look of the white table Btw. i always quite like mismatched wood tables with 60s style retro plastic chairs IYKWIM

Fillyjonk · 11/03/2007 07:08

pine

you can always sand off marks if need be

i know this from experience...

winniepoo · 11/03/2007 08:09

Glass - very big very trendy and very expensive and has lots of scratches!

itsmemummy · 11/03/2007 23:09

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